Rotary snow removing machine

ABSTRACT

A SNOW REMOVING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CASING WITH A LOWER HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING AGITATOR MEANS AND AN UPPER HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING AGITATOR MEANS FOR BITING AND CUTTING INTO THE SNOW. BLOWER MEANS ARE PROVIDED FOR DISCHARGING THE SNOW AFTER THE AGITATOR MEANS HAS CUT INTO IT. THE BLOWER MEANS AND THE AGITATOR MEANS ARE PROVIDED WITH SHAFT DRIVE MEANS EXTENDING ALONGSIDE OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF A PROPELLING VEHICLE. THE PROPELLING VEHICLE IS PROVIDED WITH A TAKE-OFF DRIVE MEANS ADJACENT THE REAR PORTION THEREOF FR CONNECTING TO THE SHAFT MEANS, THE APPARATUS ALSO IS PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ATTACHING IT TO A TRACTOR OR OTHER PROPELLING VEHICLE AND IS FURTHER PROVIDED WITH HYDRAULIC MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE CASING MEANS AND THE BLOWER AND AGITATOR MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE CASING SO AS TO CUT INTO BANKS OF SNOW OF VARYING HEIGHTS.

E. E. HANNEMAN ETAL 3,562,933

ROTARY SNOW REMOVING MACHINE 4 sheets-sheet 1 FIG. 1

FIG. 2.

INVENTORSL E Z 5p N wfi Wu a W 5 A ONE YS Feb. 16, 1971 Filed Oct.

1971 E. E. HANNIIEMAN ETAL 3,562,933

ROTARY SNOW REMOVING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. .3.

jrm'rnnmz I 1 (1 ITI/l Feb. 16, 1971 HANNEMAN L ROTARY SNOW REMOVING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5.

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ROTARY SNOW REMOVING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4., 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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United States Patent 3,562,933 ROTARY SNOW REMOVING MACHINE Elvin E. Hanneman and Ervin F. Hanneman, both of Rte. 3, Cresco, Iowa 52136 Filed Oct. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 765,045 Int. Cl. E0111 /09 US. C]. 37-43 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A snow removing apparatus comprising a casing with a lower horizontally extending agitator means and an upper horizontally extending agitator means for biting and cutting into the snow. Blower means are provided for discharging the snow after the agitator means has cut into it. The blower means and the agitator means are provided with shaft drive means extending alongside of opposite sides of a propelling vehicle. The propelling vehicle is provided with a take-off drive means adjacent the rear portion thereof for connecting to the shaft means. The apparatus also is provided with means for attaching it to a tractor or other propelling vehicle and is further provided with hydraulic means for raising and lowering the casing means and the blower and agitator means disposed within the casing so as to cut into banks of snow of varying heights.

The present invention relates to a snow removing apparatus of the type in which means are provided for agitating or cutting into the snow so as to feed it to blower means for distribution over a wide area at the side of the road or into a suitable collecting vehicle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a snow removing apparatus that can be detachably connected to a tractor or other vehicle so as to be operated by the power take-off of the tractor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact and efficient and rigid snow removing apparatus that can be readily attached to the power take-off of a conventional tractor so that it can be detached and stored away when not in use' and so that the vehicle can be utilized with other implements as well as the snow removal apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a snow removal apparatus that is provided with two separately operated drive shaft means that operate two individual snow agitator means and blower means disposed on opposite sides of a propelling vehicle upon which the apparatus is attached.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a readily detachable snow removal apparatus that can be quickly connected to a tractor or other propelling vehicle for use in removing snow and which is further provided with hydraulic ram means for vertically raising or lowering the snow removal apparatus so that it can cut into banks of snow of varying heights.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a snow removal apparatus including a casing in which is disposed the agitator means for cutting into the snow and the blower means for propelling the snow that has been cut into an area beside the road or the like, and which apparatus is further provided with gsupporting frame for said casing which may be readily applied to or removed from a vehicle as an attachment therefor, such as a tractor, and which supporting frame is adjustably and pivotally mounted upon the vehicle.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the snow removal apparatus of the present invention shown attached to a propelling vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the snow removal apparatus and the vehicle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the snow removal apparatus embodying the present invention, illustrating the agitator means and the blower means embodied in the casing of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the lines 44 of FIG. 3, illustrating the drive means for the agitator means embodied in the snow removal apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 3, illustrating the agitator means and the gear drive means and the blower means embodied in the snow removal apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5, illustrating the interior of the casing of the snow removal apparatus of the present invention when looking at it from the top;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the power take-off of a tractor to which the snow removal apparatus of the present invention is connected for operation thereby;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 88 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a snow removal apparatus which is attached to a conventional tractor 12 for operation and propulsion thereby. The tractor is provided with an engine generally designated 14 and a rear cab 16 for the operator.

The tractor is provided with conventional front wheels 18 and rear wheels 20 disposed on an axle 22. The tractor has a rear power take-off indicated at 24, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, which is operatively connected to the conventional engine 14 by Well known means, not forming part of the invention.

The tractor is provided with a side structure consisting of support members 26 having an L configuration and disposed on opposite sides of the engine and cab, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. Arm members 28 are pivotally connected at 30 to the forward ends of the L-shaped support members and are further provided with hydraulic cylinders or ram means 32 connected thereto and to the support members 26. The provision of the ram means 32 permits the arm members 28 to be raised or lowered so as to adjust the arm members 28 with respect to the ground. The arm members 28 are adapted to have connected thereto various attachments such as a manure loader and the like utilized in connection with agricultural Work and the like.

The snow removal apparatus of the present invention is provided with a substantially square or box housing or casing 34 forming a hollow configuration and extending substantially horizontally of the longitudinal axis of the tractor.

The casing 34 is subdivided into two separate chambers or compartments 36 by a vertical middle structural member 38, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The casing 34 is connected to the tractor by two laterally spaced hydraulic cylinders 40, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the rear of the casing 34 and to the arm members 28. The casing 34 is further connected to the tractor by pin means 42 connected to the lower ends of downwardly extending arms 44, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, having their rear or upper portions connected to the arm members 28. The bottom of the casing 34 is provided with spaced slide members 46 for supporting the casing when it is on the ground.

Disposed within the two compartments 36 of the housing of the casing 34 are rotary, radially acting agitator members or means, as best seen in FIGS. 3, and 6, including an upper rotor, radially acting agitator 48 in each compartment and a lower rotary, radially acting agitator 50. The upper agitators 48 are disposed on horizontal shafts 52 supported on its opposite ends in bearings and the shafts 52 extend through the middle strucral member 38 and side structural members 54 forming hollow configurations on opposite sides of the casing 34, as best seen in FIG. 6. The agitators 48 are provided with a plurality of outwardly extending pins 56 thereon and the agitator is disposed so as to turn in a clockwise direction. The lower agitators are disposed on shafts 56 which also have their opposite ends extending into the hollow structural members 54. The lower agitators are provided with a plurality of knives or flails 58 thereon for cutting into a snowbank and are disposed so as to turn in a counterclockwise direction.

'Disposed rearwardly of the sets of agitators in the compartments are transversely disposed blowers 60 comprising a plurality of vanes or blades 62 disposed on shafts 64. The fans or blowers 60 are disposed to receive the snow after it has been broken up by the agitators and to discharge the snow into conduits or ducts 66 in communication with the discharge side of the fans and to blow the snow out of the discharge end 68 of the conduits. The conduits or ducts 66 are adapted to be swivelly connected to the casing so that the snow can be discharged or distributed to the side of the road that is being cleared from.

The shafts 64 are driven by a bevel gear arrangement 70 disposed in a housing 72, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The gear box housing is provided with transverse horizontal shafts 74 for driving or rotating the agitators 48 and 50.

Referring to FIG. 4, the shafts 74 are provided with a sprocket wheel 76 thereon, and the shafts 52 and 56 of the agitators are also provided with sprocket wheels and endless roller chains 76 and 78 are carried by the sprocket wheels so as to drive the agitator shafts and the agitators. The roller chain 78 is operatively connected to an idler sprocket 80.

The bevel gear arrangement 70, as best seen in FIG. 5, is operatively connected to a band slip clutch 82, which in turn is connected to a universal joint 84 connected to the front end of a tubular drive shaft 86, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, each of the two blower units and the two separate agitator units is operatively connected to a separate drive shaft which extends rearwardly along each side of the tractor of the propulsion vehicle.

The rear end of the tubular drive shafts 86 is telescoped in a solid bar or shaft 88, as best seen in FIG. 8, and the bar 88 is connected to a universal joint 90. The purpose of the telescoping tubular drive shaft 86 and the solid bar or shaft 88 is to permit the overall length of the shafts between the universal joints to vary since the raising and the lowering of the housing or casing 34 will cause the length of these shafts to vary.

The universal joints 90 are operatively connected to overriding clutches 92, which clutches are operatively connected to a short drive shaft 94, as best seen in FIG. 8.

The short drive shaft 94 is supported in bearings 96 disposed adjacent its opposite ends. The bearings 96 are supported on a plate member 98, which plate member 98 in turn is supported on a bearing pillow 100. The bearing pillow 100 is disposed on the rear axle shaft 22 by a U-shaped bolt member 102.

The overriding clutch 92 is provided with a pin 104 extending through shaft 106. The overriding clutch is provided with dogs 108 which have a slanted side to catch on a deep groove in the side of the outer shell 110. There is a spring disposed in the groove.

The rear ends of the short drive shafts 94 are provided with sprocket wheels 112, as best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, which carry endless roller chains 114, which chains 114 are also carried by the sprocket wheels disposed on the power take-off 24, so as to be driven by the power take off of the tractor.

In operation, when it is desired to remove snow from a snowbank, the tractor is placed in operation, after the snow removal apparatus 10 has been properly secured to the arms 44 and the arm members 28. The shafts 88 and 86 are also properly secured to the universal joints 90 at this time and the universal joints 90 are preferably of a snap-on type of universal joint for the purpose of mounting and dismounting the long drive shafts in a short time to have the tractor free to do anything else.

After the attachment has been connected to the tractor, the engine of the tractor is started and the power take-off 24 through the endless chains 114 and the short drive shafts 94 and the long drive shafts 88 and the slip clutches 82 cause the blower shafts and the agitators to be operated through their respective chain drives.

The snow is agitated by the two sets of agitators for each blower, with one of the agitators rotating in a clockwise direction and the other one rotating in a counterclockwise direction, so as to throw the snow just below the center of the blower. The blower will cause the snow to be discharged into the blower conduit and the blower conduits upper end may be swiveled in the direction which it is desired to distribute the snow from a road or other path being cleared.

The present snow removal apparatus is illustrated as mounted on a manure loader with the usual bucket scoop taken off. It is readily fastened by two pins connected to the arms and by two pins connecting the hydraulic cylinders of the snow removal machine for the purpose of tilting and balancing the machine for high or low cutting to the ground or the pavement. The machine is generally lifted in case a snowdrift is over approximately four feet high in order to take the shelf off the top of the drift. The slip clutches provide a safety feature in the present case and any object that would be hidden in the snow I would not do any damage to the apparatus.

Thus, from the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention provides a novel and unique snow removal apparatus that can be quickly attached and detached from a tractor, such as a tractor utilized as a manure loader and the like, and which structure is further rugged and compact and economical in construction.

Inasmuch as various other changes may be made in the form, location and relative arrangement of the several parts without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a snow removal apparatus comprising a casing divided into at least two compartments, a pair of rotary, horizontal, radially acting snow agitating means in each compartment including an upper radially acting agitator and a lower radially acting agitator, blower means disposed rearwardly of said upper and lower agitators in each compartment to receive snow therefrom, means for attaching said casing to a tractor, and separate drive means for each set of agitators, including means to drive the upper and lower agitators of each set in opposite directions, said directions being such as to throw the snow toward the centers of the blower means, wherein said casing includes a hollow box-like structure having a vertical middle hol low structural member and vertical hollow side structural members, and said separate drive means are disposed in said middle and one of said hollow structural members, wherein said pair of upper and lower agitators are disposed laterally of each other and said agitators have respective horizontal shafts, and said separate drive means includes a separate endless chain drive for each pair of horizontal shafts, wherein the shafts of the upper agitators have a plurality of perpendicular radial pins extending therefrom and the shafts of the lower agitators have a plurality of pivoted forked fiails thereon, said flails being pivoted to rotate in radial planes, wherein said blower means includes a separate vertical fan for each set of agitator shafts with the fans positioned laterally of each other and the fan shafts perpendicular to said horizontal shafts, wherein each said fan shaft is directly connected to a separate gear drive means adjacent the rear of said casing, wherein a separate auxiliary shaft transverse to the associated fan shaft extends from each separate gear drive means and said separate drive means includes a separate endless chain drive connected to each pair of agitators and to the associated auxiliary shaft, and wherein a band-type slip clutch is operatively connected to each separate gear drive means and to a long drive shaft means.

2. The snow removal apparatus of claim 1 wherein said long drive shaft means includes a tubular shaft telescoped over a short solid bar.

3. The snow removal apparatus of claim 2 wherein said short shaft is operatively connected to an override clutch means and snap-on universal joint and said attachment means are hydraulic cylinder members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,508,829 5/1950 Lamy 3743D 1,820,707 8/1931 Moen et a1. 3743D 1,906,718 5/1933 Ritchie 3743E 2,092,536 9/1937 Sicard 3743E 2,103,514 12/1937 Cole 3743K 2,152,200 3/ 1939 McCulley 3743D 2,188,800 1/1940 Williamson 3743H 2,241,252 5/1941 Garland et a1 3743E 2,627,679 2/1953 Daniels 37--43K 2,736,111 2/ 1956 Moen 3743D 3,119,193 1/1964 Herschberger 3743D 3,429,061 2/1969 Haban 3743 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner E. H. EICKHOLT, Assistant Examiner 

